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Friday, February 1, 2013

Fabulous Friday Feature-Ruth Logan Herne

Today I welcome one of the funniest, sweetest and generous people I know: Ruth Logan Herne.

Enter to win an autographed copy of Ruth Logan Herne's book: A Family to Cherish

I didn't know what I was getting in to when I met Ruth Logan Herne at ACFW. From the first moment I said hi, she cracked a joke. She is a person who can make you smile and yet see how rich one can be with Christ. Need proof? Read her answer to my weekly question: How has God led you on your writing journey:

Take it away Ruthy-

Mary Vee, thank you so much for inviting me
over today! I brought coffee… and an old-fashioned “Angel Pie” from a garden
club cookbook I found at an antique co-op… Let me just quietly take full and
substantiated credit for the lemon filling aspect of the pie, although the rest
of it was stolen (according to Mrs. Robert Grosjean of Katonah, NY, now
deceased) from a Norwegian cook. (Just picture this rich lady cornering the
cook and demanding the recipe… was the cook a man? A woman? Did she threaten
him/her????? Inquiring minds want to know!)

It seems even high society matrons nip a
recipe now and again!

I was so excited to be coming by until I saw
you invited a whole host of other people FIRST, including but not limited to
Mary Connealy and Julie Lessman and I thought “Pshaw…. “ but I do like them, MOSTLY, so I’m okay with
being like 134th on your list of fun folks.

(sighs….sips coffee….)

(Not so, Ruthy:) the coffee is delicious, BTW)

God's Timing

When I asked Ruthy to
send a fun photo, she
sent this pic with this note:
"Derek's about as fun as it gets"
Way to go Ruthie:)

I love talking “journeys”, but the first
thing I would say is that God gives us the power to create our own path no
matter where our journey begins. My little urchins (I watch a small herd of
diaper-clad local monsters with chronically runny noses) love Candyland, but you never know when the
turn of a card might send you back to the rainbow bridge or the peanut brittle swamp!!!
And that’s life, isn’t it, the whole fly on the wheel, sometimes up… often
down…

My life began in poverty, but I refuse to
dwell there or revisit often. When God handed out opportunities, I clung to
them. When he put gentle folk in my path, I accepted their wisdom. When he sent
me six amazing children, I realized my first job was to them…. And I put my writing on hold until they were raised. I
tried writing a few times, but first there were those children…Who knew they’d
be so stinkin’ demanding???

And then we fell on tough financial times
that meant I needed a second job (and sometimes a third) to make ends meet. But
always in the back of my head was the knowledge of what God planned for me: to
be a writer, an author. And with each new hairnet –nametag-job, I gained
insight into businesses, restaurants, the wedding industry, private schools,
industrial and commercial baking, sales, special education, raising youngsters
to reach for the stars. Every one of those jobs was the baseline for research I
use in my stories today.

My mother was a brilliant woman, a shining
light of intelligence, but she also bore the strain of depression and addiction.
I never knew her sober until I was in my thirties. She attempted suicide
several times, and spent months locked in a small, dark upstairs room during my
adolescence.I didn’t get to know the pure light within her until I had a
houseful of children of my own, but I see that later time with her as a blessing. She
was funny, bright, and delightful (with no small bit of drama) and her writing
talent made mine look minimal by comparison, but… and this is a huge BUT… she
allowed the darkness to enter and then take over her life.

God lays out choices. He offers us paths. We
might choose the one less taken or the one well-trod, and that’s not the point.
It’s what we do on that path, the
hands we touch, the faces we wash, the hugs we give and receive that make the
difference.I won’t argue with folks who say “works” aren’t important. In my
life, those “works” were crucial, path-bending, Heart-forging. I’m a believer
in letting Christ’s light shine through smiling eyes and a good handshake. Some
might call my faith simple, but that’s the highest praise. Like someone saying your book made them CRY. Simple faith. The faith of a
child, freely given, unexplained. That’s my kind of club!

At one point (after receiving WAY MORE
REJECTIONS THAN JULIE LESSMAN EVER THOUGHT OF RECEIVING!!!!) one of my sons
asked why I didn’t talk about my writing anymore. I said, “I can see that my
rejections make you guys sad, and I don’t want to disappoint you.”

To which he said, “The only thing that would
disappoint me is if you quit.”

That made me smile, because he’d thrown my
own words back at me. And now with nine books out, five more contracted, eleven
grandchildren, and a husband who
still puts up with me after decades of marriage, I see God’s work coming to
fruition. Way back when Sr. Mariel and Mrs. Bagley told me I had what it takes
to be an author, I knew they were seeding a pot that might not grow for years
and years, but that given God’s time and my effort, the seed would flourish.

And I couldn’t be happier! (Well, except when
I’m making fun of folks. Nicely, of course!)

To enter the contest for an autographed copy of Ruth Logan Herne's book,leave a comment and become a follower of this site if you aren't already. Include email address in your comment. U.S. residents only. Winner announced next week.

Thank you, Ruth Logan Herne for Joining us This Weekend!

Reader, I am touched by Ruth's testimony, as you probably are. She mentioned some ways to let Christ's light shine, handshake, smiling eyes, etc.? What other ways can you let Christ's light shine?You can find Ruthy hanging out at these sites: Ruthy's Place, Seekerville, Yankee-Belle Cafe, Facebook, Twitter

Okay ... I'm one of those folks "lining up to assure you" that Ruthy is NOT a "very fun lady" -- she's hands-down one of THE funniest THE craziest, THE most colorful, THE most honest and THE kindest (in a sweet-snarky-bottom-line way, of course, that we need WAY more of in the world) human beings I have ever met and truly one of kind. And guess what -- WE have her in Seekerville, so na-na-na-na-na-na to all those other blogs that don't have her!!

Ruthy ... I knew about your mom, but I'd forgotten the true trauma of what you went through, and I am SO grateful God got a deep hold on you because you are one gifted lady whose light isn't just "shining," it's a blinkin' floodlight like one of those advertising lights that sweep the sky, drawing people from miles around. I am SOOO very glad God has gifted me with you as a friend, you sweet thing, and SOOOO freakin' proud of you with NINE BOOKS AND FIVE MORE ON THE WAY??? You make me look like a slouch, but I love you anyway, kiddo. :)

Uh ... you ARE my friend, right???

Mary, thanks SO much for having Ruthy on -- these "Fabulous Friday Features" are truly that -- FABULOUS!!

Ruthy, you live out the principle that God never wastes anything - when we submit to Him and His plan, we see that every moment of our lives can be turned to our good and His glory.

Besides that, you tell really good stories. I have to buy an extra box of tissues every time I read one!

And Mary Vee, someday I hope to meet Ruthy in person. It's my life's ambition.... Okay, one of my life's ambitions...but it's a good one, right? Meanwhile, I'm jealous of all who have had the pleasure :)

Yes I like Julie A LITTLE.... :) Julie and I met over a contest when we were both contest divas (where Seekerville was born, a bunch of gals praying one another into publication... where else in the world do you find souls that are so willing to help in such a competitive business????) Anyway, she thought I was the MEAN judge who totally dissed her work, but I was the lesser mean judge, who said she wasn't writing a romance, but a delightful family SAGA... (which she did, right????) and then I may or may not have made note of the 212 POV's in the manuscript. God put us all together in 2004 and 2005 and we formed a bond that has just been a gift for these 8 years.... and then we launched Seekerville to help other aspiring authors.

This is a tough biz. You need to check your ego at the door, and I've always thought getting slammed in writing contests was the best thing to prepare us for the reality, LOL! And it worked!

JAN!!!! One of my co-managers at the Yankee Belle Cafe!!! :) We'll get together sometime. Maybe meet in the middle????? Where would that be? Kentucky? Lower Ohio????? (scratches head, geographically challenged!!!)

Oh my goodness! What a treat to learn even more about my favorite Seekerville tyrant! (Just imagine what a madhouse it would be if Ruthy wasn't keeping us in line! I can't count how many times she's told me personally to pull up my big-girl panties and quit whining.)

For you, Ruthy, I put out the good silver, oh and if tea is your preferred beverage, be sure to curve your pinky. Must be proper.I feel so smart now that I know nickel is no longer used. So that is why stainless steel is dull. A Paul Harvey story fur shur.

Hey, I did the Angel Pie STOLEN FIRST BY MRS. GROSJEAN AND NOW BY ME!!!!) at YANKEE BELLE CAFE last Saturday and actually constructed it during the day, posting pics as I went. And it was fabulous. Oh my stars, my family went over the top for it.

A 5 star kind of pie from this 70 year old cookbook!!! I love these ladies in Katonah! :)

Yes. I have a son who lives in NYC and he treats Dave and me to a game every summer. And another son treats us to an away game every summer, so we've seen Fenway, Cleveland, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington and Toronto. Every time they send me to a game, I remember how I pushed them to get a good education.'

Clearly with my own selfish interests at heart!!! :)

Yankees games are always fun, but the most fun in NYC???? Seeing it with Tina 18 months ago, oh my stars.... we road-tripped Thelma and Louise style in a mustang convertible.

Mary, thanks for a welcome visit today. One of the most fun places I have visited. Glad to see all of you smart and happy people. Well, Ruth, we all have to have someone in charge, right? Might as well be you! Glad I made it to this fantastic party. Sounds like you have some great fun times together. Would love to be able to sneak in and just listen to all the goings on! I imagine would be great entertainment! So glad to have all of you writing such great books! Well, since the pie is all gone, guess I will mozzy on home, where there is no excitement at all going on. :( I would love to win Ruth's book tho. Just go on Ruthie and pull it out of the cat dish before it gets too many for you to find mine. OK? Maxie mac262(at)me(dot)com

Mary, I forget to answer the question. We should always let our love for GOD show through by our attitude, by the way we talk, and the way we live our lives. Not just on Sundays but everyday. Helping others when we have a chance. After all, Jesus said whatsoever you do the least of these, you have done to me. Nice to meet all of you gals! Maxie

Ruthy at an NYC Yankee game. Let me picture that. Let's see it would be like watching a room full of kindergarteners eating their favorite treat at a kiddy park. Energy on maximum warp, and pure excitement on caffeine.

Oh, this party's rockin'.... Okay, Maxie, I love you already, and I love these gals from over yonder, and while I think they ate the pie, I did a homemade carrot cake today with a finely chopped HUMONGOUS Cortland apple mixed into it. Oh my stars, Maxie, you have to try this it's delicious!!!

PEPPER.... I am an "experience", aren't I???? :) We had so much fun together and I think Pam Hillman still has the video of you and me singing the theme song from "Phineas and Ferb"

:)

I'm sure we will be blackmailed some day!

"There's 104 days of summer vacation, Til school comes along just to end it! So the annual problem for our generation is finding a good way to speeeeeend it!!!" :)

Megan, you're in! And I love the way a crowd gathers around Mary Vee... I love that in a person, when they just shine with warmth.

And no, I don't WANT ANYTHING, I'm just bein' nice. I do that, now and again.

And I love Pepper's comment about God providing the sugar. That's such a true parable, that if we're making lemonade (or lemon pie!!!!) God will provide. And if we don't feel it tangibly, it's there in everything we see... do... touch. Sunsets. Sunrise. A baby, napping. A dog, waiting alongside baby's high chair, hoping for crumbs to fall... A tree, newly leafed.

Or a tree, snow-covered, waiting.

God's beauty surrounds us and if we're glass-half-full kinds of people, we'll see that beauty without being Gibbs-smacked. Have I mentioned I love NCIS????

Ruthy,My mother (of which you are highly jealous) is here right now and I showed her your story.She said "It's beautiful. We don't live our lives in the rearview mirror."Amen.She said, "we're pressing forward to the High Call, aren't we?"

I'm always late to the parties it seems, but this was worth attending even if I'm the only one left in the room.

Ruthy, that new cover!!!! I hadn't seen that before. It's bee-yooooo-ti-ful. Can't wait to pick it up.

Honestly, your covers would have me wanting to write for LI even if I didn't already want to.

And Mary, can I say how much I love, love your site. I would have commented earlier, but I've been reading back all your posts for the weeks past There is so much gentle wisdom, so much appreciation for life. I'm delighted to subscribe just so I don't miss a post.

No need to enter me for the book. I already have it and have read it. :)

Ruthy, I love your comment about having a simple faith. I could feel your sincerity. It's been a pleasure to get to know your heart here and over at Seekerville. I'm happy for your publishing success and to read that your faith in God and your dream was still strong during uncertain and difficult days. We let Christ's light shine through us when our actions are misunderstood and attributed to a selfish motive. The cover on your latest is beautiful. I'd love to be included in the drawing.

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